Dear Friends,

A wise man once said: “Hard work without talent is a shame, but talent without hard work is a tragedy.”

Well, someone who has managed to marry an outrageous talent with reams of hard graft and dedication is Swiss photographer Ulysse Fréchelin.

Ulysse’s speciality is using still-life techniques in natural light, which demands both huge commitment and considerable patience on his part. He is constantly at the mercy of the elements, often needing to wait in the same place for hours at a time, until a combination of factors – height of the sun, cover of the clouds, breath of the wind – all align so he can capture the perfect shot.

Ulysse had to do just that to create his series “American Trucks”, a collection of breathtaking portraits celebrating that powerful icon of the American freeways, the trucking rig.

Shooting for more than a fortnight in intense heat at truck stops on the Arizona-New Mexico border, Ulysse made brilliant use of the dazzling light to bring out the gleaming chrome and vibrant colours of these automotive behemoths – bold yellows, greens and reds – as well as the vast blue skies of their American West backdrop. His use of close-ups and unconventional angles transforms seemingly familiar details into extraordinary artistic explosions of shapes and colour.

The MB&F M.A.D.Gallery is hosting an exhibition of 8 portraits from “American Trucks” – each available in a limited edition of 8 large-format prints – and has also published a 100-page coffee table book featuring photography from Ulysse’s “American Trucks” series. This is the first ever book published by the M.A.D.Gallery and it is available in standard format as well as a signed and numbered limited edition of 100 copies.

If you are living in or near Geneva, or visiting Switzerland, it would be my pleasure to welcome you to the M.A.D.Gallery where you can check out the “American Trucks” book and exhibition, as well as our mesmerising collection of mechanical art pieces.

If you are unable to visit us, both the “American Trucks” book and large format prints are available from our e-shop.

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